The beginning of a brand new year commonly brings about feelings of a fresh start for many people. This is especially true for those who are looking for a little more financial control in their lives. The good news is that there’s never been a better time to examine and improve your financial situation, and these are 5 different resolutions you can easily keep for 2022.
Assess Your Net Worth
Before embarking on any other financial New Year’s resolutions, you’ll need to bring yourself up to speed on your current net worth. To do this, you’ll want to examine the value of your assets (such as your home and/or vehicle), the value of your bank accounts, and any retirement or savings accounts you might have.
Invest More into Your Retirement
Maybe your employer already handles your IRA contributions, but it might be time to start thinking about investing a little more in your future. Even if you can manage an extra $10-$20 per week, you’ll be setting the future ‘you’ up for greatness.
Form a Debt Action Plan
While it’s easy to become overwhelmed when thinking about tackling debt, it’s important to conceptualize a plan that seeks to mitigate and progressively eliminate your owed balances. Create a list of all debts that you currently owe to creditors or collections, and try to pay each down separately.
Get Rid of Credit Card Debt
Formulate an idea of how much you owe on each credit card you own and begin paying it down. If you carry excessive debt on a card, stop using it temporarily while you work on reducing the balance. If you possess credit cards with high-interest rates, consider cutting ties with them.
Stay Up to Date on Your Credit Report
While it might seem like common sense, you should regularly check your credit report for accuracy. You can access three credit reports per year for free, so be sure to take advantage of this opportunity. If you see any errors listed, dispute it with the reporting agency and prove with documentation why it is erroneous. For all other balances listed, try to pay them down as quickly as possible so that your credit score can bounce back with ease.